The
Genesis of Joe Kubert, Part 1One Of The Most successful
Careers In Comics

A
major talent in the comics industry for over five decades, Joe Kubert is
indisputably one of the most impressive craftsmen in the field's history.
During his time in the business he has drawn everything from horror to
westerns to super heroes, and drawn them all well. A tour through his career
is a tour through comics' history itself.

Joe Kubert was born in Poland in 1926,
immigrating with his family to the United States when he was two months
old. When he was three or four he was given a box of chalk by a neighbor
and quickly set about covering the Brooklyn pavements with his drawings.
Joe's parents noticed their son's love of drawing and encouraged him in
every way. On Sundays the young Kubert would devour the full-page funnies,
avidly enjoying Hal Foster's Prince Valiant
and Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates.

In 1938, Kubert got his first exposure
to the world of professional cartooning at age eleven and a half. A school
friend, who happened to be related to Louis Silberleit, one of the owners
of MLJ Studios (now Archie Comics), suggested that Joe visit the
studio. Joe took his friend's advice and took a batch of drawings wrapped
in newspapers to the company's Manhattan offices. There he met his first
professionals; Mort
Meskin, Charles Biro, Bob
Montana, and Irv Novick. The artists, young men in their twenties,
were receptive and helpful to the youngster, giving him art tips and information.
"One artist would suggest, 'Watch this figure, kid. Start doing this,learn
how to draw that.' and I'd ask 'Can I come back again and show you when
I do what you've told me?''Sure kid, come back any time.' So maybe once
a week, or as often as I could, I'd come back.."

This kind, if unofficial, apprenticeship
program, was invaluable training. By the time Joe was twelve, he was allowed
to ink a rush job, the pencils of Bob Montana's Archie. Later, while
at the High School of Music and Art, he became friends with a future collaborator,
Norman Maurer. The two were intensely interested in becoming comic book
artists and would frequently cut classes, often three times a week, in
order to walk from 135th street to publishers' offices in lower Manhattan.

Through such shoe leather wearing excursions
Kubert gained more work experience at Harry 'A' Chesler's comics shop.
Kupert was allowed to visit the shop after school and on weekends and Chesler,
although outwardly a gruff seeming man, was nice enough to allow the boy
to practice on unused scripts. During this period Joe's father continued
to support his son's interest in art and, although not financially well
off, paid a princely sum for a drawing board for his son (a board that
Kupert still uses to this day).

Kupert's first paying job came from another
shop, Holyoke Publishing. Joe was all of twelve years of age when he penciled,
inked and lettered his first story for Catman Comics, "Voltron." Before
graduating from high school Kubert and Maurer also worked for Charles
Biro's crime comics, where Kubert inked Lou Fine's pencils on the Daredevil
and Crimebuster series.

Kubert worked for other shops during this
period, inking for Will (The
Spirit) Eisner, as well drawing Flagman at Holyoke, Boy
Buddies for MLJ, and Phantom Lady and Espionage for Quality
Comics. In 1944 he landed a job at Max Gaines' All-American Comics,
edited by Sheldon (Sugar
and Spike) Mayer. His new editor was another mentor. "He took
a serious interest in me. He taught me that to communicate was the most
important element in cartoon illustration. He was extremely helpful and
effective with all the artists who worked for him." While at All-American
Kubert continued to learn, studying the work of the other cartoonists,
like Lee (Black Cat) Elias and Irwin (Dondi) Hasen.

All-American was to merge with National
Periodical Publications (now DC) that same year. The move enabled Kupert
to get his first work on Hawkman (a strip he would revitalize almost
twenty years later in The Brave And The Bold comic), as well as
penciling Sargon the Sorcerer, Dr. Fate, The Flash, and The Vigilante.
Although still in his teens, Kubert's distinctive style of dynamic compositions,
bold blacks, and fluid brushwork began to take form. It was still far from
perfection but, influenced by Hal Foster, had
an impressive feel for action and fantasy.

Just prior to being drafted into the army
during the Korean conflict, the eighteen year old artist had gotten involved
in packaging a series of comics for the St. John publishing company.
Kubert had a good relationship with the owner and was delegated a heavy
load of responsibilities for one so young, not only writing and drawing,
but working as an art director, as well as handling payroll and profit-sharing
duties. Kubert also hired artists for the studio, and one artist he hired,
Alex Toth, would go on to become another major innovator in the field.

In 1950 Kubert was inducted, but working
for Uncle Sam painting helmet emblems didn't prevent him from continuing
on with freelancing through the mails, even while stationed in Europe.
After serving his tour of duties, Kubert returned to civilian life and
St. John, reuniting with Norm Maurer for his first major memorable job,
Tor.

It's no exaggeration to say that Tor
was one of the best "Noble Savage" books to hit print, perhaps only rivaled
by Frank Frazetta's
jungle-man Thun'da. Tor was a caveman who coexisted with the dinosaurs,
but there the resemblance to Alley Oop ended. Unlike
the boisterous stories of V.T. Hamlin, Kubert handled his cave character
with an introspective, humanistic slant. Tor was a wandering outsider,
and many of his conflicts came not only from tussles with dinosaurs, but
from the human fear of the stranger. The scripts were thoughtful and well
written, and the art was magnificently rendered through the duotone shading
process, giving each panel additional contrast and depth.

Depth was important; Tor had the
additional distinction of being one of the first 3D comics. The 3D craze
had hit America hard and the theaters were packed with audiences wearing
the red and green cellophane-lensed glasses. (Later DC would reprint
Tor
as a color title in 1975.)

St. John's first 3D book had been
Mighty
Mouse and Norm and Joe had spent long hours in perfecting the tedious
routine of registering many acetate overlays over the original, base drawings.
The extra effort paid off in that the first 3D comic sold a million and
a quarter issues at twenty-five cents apiece. With St.John's royalty and
profit sharing plan the young Kubert was able to buy his first house. With
the success of the initial sales, St. John converted all his titles to
the new process. The move proved to be a disastrous mistake, however. "Each
succeeding sale was less than the one before. Proving that gimmicks don't
last forever." When the public lost interest, Archer St. John lost
his business. Kubert was now back on the streets freelancing again, looking
for that next script (and check!) in the mail.